King Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, was executed at the Palace of Whitehall in central London.

He was beheaded on an execution scaffold erected outside the Banqueting House in front of a large crowd.

On the losing side of the English Civil War Charles Stuart had been tried by a special commission of judges created by Parliament for waging war against the English people.

At the end of the week-long trial at the Palace of Westminster he was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Charles was later buried in the King Henry VIII vault inside St George's Chapel in Windsor castle.

The English monarchy was replaced with a Republican Commonwealth led by Oliver Cromwell.

But it fell apart soon after his death in 1660 and the monarchy was restored under Charles II.